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Which real disaster provides the setting for San Francisco?

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W.S. Van Dyke W.S. Van Dyke (standing, right) directing Myrna Loy and William Powell during the filming of *The Thin Man* (1934); cinematographer James Wong Howe is on the left.

The 1936 film San Francisco, directed by W.S. Van Dyke, is set against the backdrop of the San Francisco earthquake of 1906.

This major earthquake, which struck on April 18, 1906, caused catastrophic damage to the city through both the initial tremors and the massive, four-day fire that followed. The film is widely recognized for its dramatic portrayal of this historical disaster, utilizing sophisticated special effects to recreate the destruction of the city.2